Air preheater for furnaces



May 25 1926.

F. TUREK. AIR P REHEATER F03 FuRNAcE Filed Feb. 2, 1925 Patented May 25, 1926.

uulrro STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

FERDINAND TURK, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

.AIR PREI-IEATER FOR FURNACES.

Application filed February 2, 1925. Serial No. 6,361.

This invention relates to improvements in air preheaters foiI furnaces or the like, the primary object being to eliminate to a considerable degree the loss of heat whlch is experienced in the structures now employed.

A further object is to provide means whereby escape of heat to the smoke stack or chimney is retarded and so position this means that incoming cold air which is to be heated in the furnace for distribution through a heating system, will be preheated to a certain degree through contact with said means.

A. still further object is to provide a device of this character which is arrangeable between an ordinary hot air furnace and the chimney without the .necessity of extensive altera-tion of the structure'ordinarily employed and to further so construct such a device that it may be readily knocked down or separated to facilitate access to any part.

Anotherobject is to provide a device of this character wherein is arranged a series of spaced drums so associated as to provide a maximum heating surface over which incoming cool or cold air will pass in a zig-zag course allowing pre-heating of the air to an appreciable degree before entrance into the usual furnaces.

It is likewise an object to provide a device of this character whose use in a heating system will permit maintaining a slow fire in the furnace, in consequence of which the volume of smoke emitted will be materially lessened and furthermore the danger of overheating will be practically eliminated.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.-

In order that the invention and its mode of operation may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, I have in the accompanying illustrative drawings and detailed description based thereon pointed out one possible embodiment of the same.

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the relative positioning of this device in a heating system;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device, the top plate being removed from the structure;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Figure 3.

In the accompanying drawings throughout which similar characters of reference designate similar parts, I have illustrated a portion of a heating system for a house or other building, the portion shown including a hot air furnace 6 having the hot air distributing pipes 7 radiating from its top portion, and a chimney 8 spaced from the hot air furnace 6. Adjacent the upper end of the hot air furnace 6 is a smoke pipe or flue 9 which in this instance is offset with respect to a section of a iue pipe 10, one end of which is extended into the opening (not shown) of the chimney 8. This last named pipe 10 extends upwardly and then horizontally to the chimney 8 and preferably includes an ordinary damper 11 in its structure, the function of which is well known.

The heating device itself while arrangeable in any or several dierent portions is preferably disposed as shown in the accompanying drawings and consists (of a series Vof alincd spaced drums 12 which are preferably constructed of sheet metal of suitable gauge. The two end drums are provided with inlet and outlet openings 13 and 14 respectively,

these openings having direct communication with the aforementioned flue pipes 9 and 10. The drums 12 obviously may be of any preferred configuration but as shown in this case are substantially rectangular.

Each drum 12 has an open vertical end which is closable by means of a. anged cover or closure member 15 which is removably retainable over the opening by means of screw fasteners or the like devices 16. This construction permits thorough cleaning of each drumy when necessary. The adjacent faces or walls 17 of the drums 12 are provided with uniformly spaced openings 1S in which the ends of pipe sections 19 are snugly seated. Through this arrangement of pipes, the drums are so connected as to form an irregular path or course for exhausted heat and smoke between the hot air furnace and the chimney or smoke stack. To provide against the possibility of the formation of gas pockets inthese drums I arrange the pipes 19 substantially as shown in Figure 4, with the result that the probability of gas pocket formation is compara'-v tively remote. Obviously any number of pipes 19 may be employed.

At times these short pipes 19 must be cleaned, in view of which I provide one of the end drums 12 with a set of lopenings 20 which are in alinement with these pipes and maybe closed by cap members 21 as shown in Figures 2 and 3. In order to control the draft in a furnace ot this type I secure to the tlue pipe in any preferred manner a branch pipe Q2 at the outer end of which is arranged an adjustable closure member or plate 23, the Jfunction ot which is Well known in the art.

In order to direct cold air over the heating surfaces ot the aforementioned drums l2, l arrange over the entire set of drums, a casing or housing made up from a number of plates or" sheet metal Aor the like material. These metal plates are attachable to an angle iron frame 2l as indicated in Figure 2, the side, end, top and bottom plates being bolted or otherwise secured to these angle iron members 2l so as to allow ready removal ot any portion- The end plate 25 is detachable from the structure to permit cleaning oi the pipes 19 upon removal of the cap or closure members 2l.

One side plate Q6 of the casing is provided near one end With an inlet opening 27 through which cold air enters the casing. Near the other end ot this plate 2G an opening is formed torthe reception ot' the atormentioned branch pipe 22 which form a portion of the dratt control. The drums l2 are uniformly spaced from the casing and carry partition plates 2S which are arranged in staggered relation as shown in Figure in consequence of Which the incoming cold airis forced to pass over the heated surfaces of all the drums making up the set, before it can escape through the connectingl pipe 29 to the heating jacket (not shown) ot' the hot air furnace G. ln mounting these partition plates 28, the edges ot' certain ot these plates Will be welded or riveted to the drums l2. irt other points Where the space between the removable closure l5 and the side plate 26 ot the housing must be shut oli, a portion 30 of the partition plate Will be carried by said closure 15.

It is quite obvious that an air heating device of this nature may be installed in almost any heating system ot' the usual construction ivithout materially altering the relation ot the furnace and other parts. @nce installed, this device Will pre-heat the incoming cold air due to its passage over the hot surfaces of the drums l2. As in other devices of this nature soot and the like Will eventually accumulate in the drums or other compartments, and in order to 'facilitate cleaning thereof the side plate Q6 and the end plate 25 adjacent the chimney S may be removed. lith removal ot these plates, the closures l5 and 2O may be removed and any Well known device employed for scraping the soot from the drums 15 and the pipes 19 may. be used.

Certain minor changes in the details ot construction may be resorted to and such ot.' these changes as may tall Within the scope ot the appended claims, l consider within the spirit of my invention.

l. A device of the character described comprising, a casing having an air inlet and outlet at opposite ends, a series of spaced drums in the casing, a plurality of pipe'sections interconnecting the drums, a pipe opening into each end drum and extending through the casing, partitions arranged to direct air over the drums in a Zig-Zag course to the outlet, said plurality of pipe sections being longitudinally alined, one end drum having cleaneout openings in its outer Wall alined with the pipe sections, and removable closures for the clean-out openings.

2. A device of the character described comprising, a casing having an air inlet and outlet at opposite ends, a series of spaced drums in the casing, a plurality of pipe sections interconnecting the drums, a pipe opening into each end drum and extending through the casing, partitions arranged to direct air over the drums in a zig-Zag course to the outlet, said plurality ot.' pipe sections being longitudinally alined, one end drum having clean-out openings in its outer Wall alined with the pipe sections, removable closures for the clcansout openings, said drums having corresponding ends entirely open, removable closures 'tor said ends, and a pair ot separable cover plates carried by the casing to permit access to said removable elosures.

ln testimony Whereoi, l aliix my signature.

FER-Dl NAND T UREK. 

